Epidemiology of Multiple Myeloma

Introduction

multiple myeloma represents about 0.8% of all cancer cases worldwide, with incidence rates ranging from 0.4 to 5 per 100,000 persons in different parts of the world.1 The highest rates of myeloma are observed in Australia, New Zealand, North America, northern and western Europe, while the lowest rates are seen in Asia. Modest increases in both incidence and mortality for myeloma have been observed over the last few decades, without an apparent explanation.1

As with other forms of cancer, there is great interest in the role of environmental, immunologic, and genetic risk factors for myeloma. Unlike some subtypes of leukemia and lymphoma for which environmental and/or infectious risk factors have been clearly defined, there are few generally accepted predisposing insults leading to the development of myeloma. There are anecdotal cases of myeloma occurring in spouses,2, 3, 4, 5, 6 as well as rare reports of community clusters of myeloma cases.7,8These observations imply the...

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